


some friend

by kaalee



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Era, Multi, The Quidditch Pitch: Golden Trio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-08
Updated: 2009-03-08
Packaged: 2018-10-26 15:07:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10789149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaalee/pseuds/kaalee
Summary: [Harry/Hermione/Ron, pre-relationship]  Hermione, Ron, and Harry all have similar worries.  (A missing scene from OotP, after the attack at the Department of Mysteries.)





	some friend

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Annie, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Quidditch Pitch](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Quidditch_Pitch), which went offline in 2015 when the hosting expired, at a time I was not able to renew it. I contacted Open Doors, hoping to preserve the archive using an old backup, and began importing these works as an Open Doors-approved project in April 2017. Open Doors e-mailed all authors about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact us using the e-mail address on [The Quidditch Pitch collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/thequidditchpitch/profile).
> 
> **Author's notes:**
> 
> A small take on what I think Ron, Harry, and Hermione may have been dealing with just after the scene in the Department of Mysteries in OotP. Rather pre-relationship, and meant to fit within canon as much as possible.  Written for the [ **triofqf**](http://community.livejournal.com/triofqf/) on Livejournal.  Thank you to [**shikishi**](http://shikishi.livejournal.com/), [**penguinsanity**](http://penguinsanity.livejournal.com/), and [**tipgardner**](http://tipgardner.livejournal.com/) for the very helpful beta work. ♥

**Some Friend**

**Harry/Ron/Hermione, PG**

 

 

~written for the [**triofqf**](http://community.livejournal.com/triofqf/) ♥

 

 

~.:.~.:.~.:.~

 

 

 

The hospital wing was full of odd sounds that night. 

 

Tree branches scraped the window when the wind whistled through them. Quiet sniffs reverberated around at random intervals as Neville's recently healed nose reassumed its previous state as snoring champion of Gryffindor. 

 

The hiccoughing laughter that had wracked Ron's body since earlier that day had finally subsided, though Hermione couldn't tell if he was asleep. She certainly wasn't. Her thoughts seemed to be set on a fast-paced mode that she could not shut off, in spite of the _Arresto Mens Mentis_ charm that she half-heartedly whispered.

 

She looked over at Ginny lying in the bed to her left. The moonlight shone through the window, highlighting a cut above her eyebrow. Hermione had accused Ron on more than one occasion of being an overprotective and oversensitive older brother, but she was suddenly feeling as though _she'd_ somehow let everyone down. Ginny had broken her ankle, Neville had broken his nose, and heavens _knew_ what the aftereffects of the entangled brains on Ron might be.

 

_Some friend,_ Hermione thought, sighing. She'd brought her friends into the middle of the insane, horrible battle and had not been able to do anything to protect them. She certainly had not made much effort to convince them to stay at Hogwarts.

 

A small voice reminded her that Ginny, Neville, and Luna had insisted upon coming, but Hermione ignored that voice as the profound events of the evening filled her mind. Even three years ago, when Ginny had been trapped down in the bowels of the castle by a Basilisk, Harry and Ron had been the ones to protect and save her. 

 

Not Hermione.

 

Instead, she'd been petrified in the hospital wing because she'd not been able to get to her best friends and tell them of the horror that was stalking one of them. 

 

Hermione sighed as Professor Lupin’s words from years ago echoed through her head. She certainly didn't _feel_ like the cleverest witch of her age.

 

Now Hermione felt as though she had, however inadvertently, caused the death of her best friend's godfather. Why hadn’t she been able to _figure it out_? 

 

This was ridiculous. She needed to talk to Harry and Ron.

 

She swung her feet over the side of the bed and was about to stand up when she looked into Ron's wide eyes. He was frozen in the same position as she.

 

"Ron," she whispered, "Where are you going?"

 

"To see Harry," he said miserably. "I have to talk to you guy- wait, why are _you_ getting out of bed?"

 

"I'm going to see Harry, too." she confessed.

 

"Why?"

 

"Because I-" she faltered, words slipping.

 

"Maybe we should just go together?" Ron suggested.

 

"But, Ron, you shouldn't be..." Hermione trailed off when Ron raised his eyebrow at her. "Well... all right, but we'll need to be very quiet."

 

"I know, Hermione," Ron whispered impatiently, "I _know_."

 

They both slid their feet into slippers and padded quietly out of the hospital wing.

 

 

~.:.~.:.~.:.~

 

 

 

Ron’s mind raced as he and Hermione tiptoed through the corridors towards Gryffindor Tower. He stroked a tight line with his thumb over the end of his wand as he walked.

 

The joined light from their wands lengthened the shadows in front of them, making incongruous shadows of the little tables and artifacts in the corridor. Ron swallowed. He was not typically afraid of the dark -- far from it, in fact. He was the one that ventured into the shadows and unknown places at the Burrow -- fearless, but for spiders.

 

Yet, he felt as though things were horribly unbalanced. The events of that day flew threw his mind in an endless, revolving loop. Harry had seen something _terrible_ and had to go save Sirius. Ron never doubted Harry's visions. He may have been slightly skeptical a few years ago, but not anymore. If Harry said he saw something, then he _did._  

 

Naturally Ron and Hermione would go with him to save Sirius. The three of them were a team, a group, _more_ than that even, he sometimes thought. 

 

The corridor outside the Hospital wing was carpeted with rough, dark colors that Ron assumed could withstand any stains that might come along. Ron himself felt stained, he thought, as rubbed at one of the long welts tangled across his left arm. Stained in that he'd made stupid, idiotic blunders that had hurt those around him and had caused the death, however inadvertently, of his best friend's godfather.

 

He didn't know how to talk to Harry, but he _had to_ ; had to in the way that you have to eat when you're hungry -- when it claws at your insides and thrums a painful well deep in your stomach.

 

Ron's inability to convince his little sister, Neville, and Luna to remain at Hogwarts had started the chain of events that had ended in some measure of success, but a lot of pain. 

 

Not the least of which were the stupid things that Ron remembered doing. _Summoning brains from jars_! Ron shook his head involuntarily, and Hermione looked up at him, "Ron, are you all right?"

 

"Fine," Ron whispered, far from it. _Some friend he was._

 

Just then, a moving shadow in front of them caught his attention and he automatically stepped in front of Hermione to protect her.

 

 

~.:.~.:.~.:.~

 

 

 

Harry had suspected for years that his dreams and visions were a form of brain damage or insanity. What other explanation could he possibly have for seeing such things?

 

Tonight, Dumbledore had given him a reason for all of it. But, Harry wasn't quite ready to deal with all of that new information. He wasn’t quite sure he ever _could_ , actually. Harry wondered if part of his brain had taken in that information and then closed in around itself until he could deal with it appropriately. It was _too much._

 

So, while lying in bed listening to the unwavering silence that marked the absence of Ron and Neville, his tumbling, waking thoughts centered around the danger he'd put his friends in. Again.

 

He played the scene over and over again: how the Death Eater made a slashing motion at Hermione, how she had crumpled to the floor.

 

He knew now that had that Death Eater had the power of speech, Hermione would most likely be dead.

 

And Ron? Following him into every bloody situation with an absolute trust Harry couldn't fathom. Ron was probably lying in the hospital wing with deep red slashes on his body from the brains that had tangled around him.

 

_Some friend_ , Harry thought, shaking his head. He had to talk to Ron and Hermione... to apologize, to _see_ them. He stepped out of bed avoiding the creaking floorboard as he passed Dean's bed. When he reached the Common Room, he realized that he'd not taken his invisibility cloak. Tossing his head, Harry walked brazenly out of the room and toward the hospital wing.

 

Let someone find him in the corridor. What could they _really_ do to bother him right now?

 

 

~.:.~.:.~.:.~

 

 

 

The light shone on Harry, and Hermione gasped. At the noise, Harry took an involuntary step backward, away from Ron’s, "Oh."

 

Then the three friends spoke at once, "It's my fault, I-"

 

They all stopped talking, Harry's eyes wide, Ron looking confused, Hermione's hand over her mouth.

 

Ron spoke first, breaking the silence, "Harry, Hermione, I shouldn't have done such stupid things in the Department of Mysteries. It's all my fault, I'm sor-"

 

"Oh, _honestly_ , Ron," Hermione interrupted. "You were under the influence of a hex; it was not your fault. If anyone should apologize, it's-" she swallowed, "it's me. I should have known what was going on. I'm sure vision and possession spells are in a book somewhere and I should have-"

 

" _Hermione._ " Harry's voice was quiet, but firm. "You are not supposed to know everything. As much as we'd like you to give us all the answers, neither of us expect you to know everything. I'm the one who..." Harry trailed off for a moment. "I should never have asked the two of you to come with me. It's my fight, my problem, and I put all of you in danger again, and I'm sor-"

 

Ron interrupted this time. "You stupid git -- of _course_ we'd come with you. That's what friendship is about!" He laughed and caught Harry's hand in a tight grip, "Don't even think of trying to go off without us. That would be something you'd need to apologise for, Mate. Not any of this other business."

 

Harry looked at him in surprise and then down at their knotted fingers. Hermione glanced at Harry's hand caught in Ron's larger, freckled one. Something was missing. Something small, but important...

 

She reached out to twine her fingers tightly with theirs, and the three of them smiled in the dark, quiet corridor.

 

 

~.:.~.:.~.:.~

 

 

 

Invisible forces were not unheard of in the Magical or Muggle world, though those that live in the Magical world are less likely to look for explanations or reasons when such things occur.

 

All three looked at their entangled fingers and leaned forward until their temples brushed and met, Ron touching Hermione touching Harry touching Ron -- a triad of gathered strength. For many minutes, they remained in that position, breathing in time as the night moved on around them.

 

Sometimes, words weren't necessary.

 

 

~.:.~.:.~.:.~

 

 

 

Thank you so much for reading! ♥


End file.
